The impending takeover of the clinic by health firm Horizon has been delayed for weeks as City Council members in opposition to the change have requested assurances that Horizon will not drop certain mandated healthcare services.

The city can approve the takeover, but it can't "abdicate its responsibility to its clientele," reads the Aug. 5 letter from Natalie Pawlenko, acting director of the state Office of Local Public Health.

The council was scheduled to approve the city's contract with Horizon at tomorrow's council meeting, but the vote was delayed once council members read Pawlenko's letter, which stresses that the state has the final OK over the contract.

The Horizon takeover was proposed by city officials earlier this year as a way to save money. But some council members have said they fear Horizon may not offer all the same services the city now provides.

Councilwoman-at-Large Kalimah Ahmad, one of those members, said she's still unconvinced.

"I'm not going to vote for this," Ahmad said at Monday's council caucus.

City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said in an e-mail that the Aug. 5 letter was from a different state department than the city had been dealing with up until now.

Business Administrator Jack Kelly will be contacting the state about the letter, she said.

"The city will not close our facility until we and Horizon get approval from the Department of Health and the grant funding is secured," said Morrill, referring to a $75,000 state grant that Horizon must receive to take over the city clinic.